Monthly Archives: November 2013

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A big thank you to all who participated in The Color of Love Blog Hop! For the regular visitors to this blog, you all know the importance of stories of interracial romance to me. I hope this genre grows and grows and grows!

This hop is a wonderful beginning!

And my winner is ~ Dee Little!

I’ve sent her an email and she’ll get a copy of either The Beginning of Forever or One Stormy Night.

Holding the pieces of her drama riddled life, Jade decides to leave her disappointments in the past and move on. When her aunt opens up about a family secret, she realizes that everyone else seems to do what they please. Well, now so will she. Building life from the ground up isn’t easy, but with the right friends, she creates the life of her once forgotten dreams.

At the crux of an intense love tug-o-war, the one question she must answer is which man will play the lead role? Will Julian, the ‘bad boy’ who mysteriously walks back into her life manage to win her heart? Will she find forgiveness and a happy ending with John, Mr. “almost perfect’? Maybe there is someone new on the horizon that she can start fresh with. Life is never simple for Jade, but when she listens to her heart, she begins to open doors to a whole new world.

With new friends, and new exciting adventures, Jade is growing into a woman that she is proud of. The real question she needs to figure out is? What does she want her life to become?

***

“Hey,” John murmured, cradling my face between his large hands.

“Hi,” I replied. There was a slight tremor to my voice caused by the nostalgia that being near him evoked. John. He had been the only thing that kept me sane when it felt like everything around me was falling apart. Now there was so much upheaval around me, I didn’t know where that left us. The conflicted look in his eyes as he looked into mine, further intensifying things. His eyes kept wandering to the almost faded bruise near my mouth from being manhandled. God, I don’t want his pity. Anything but pity, please!

“I don’t know what to say right now. I’m just happy to see you,” he finally spoke.

“I’m glad you’re here too.” I tried to smile through the crack in my heart. Once again John resorted to silence as he continued to hold me. Raheem Devaughn sang about his Luv Drug while my insides were churning with clashing emotions. I wanted to be consumed with the comfort I found in John’s arms, but part of me felt like I should keep some distance between us until I figured out what the hell I wanted. John’s words interrupted my emotional caucus.

“Is it ok if I kiss you?” He leaned in closer before I could even answer. Not yet touching my lips, but close enough that I could smell spearmint every time he took a breath. Close enough for me to make out the hints of amber and greens that tinted his hazel eyes. Wasn’t I just thinking about distance or something? Chile’ Please! I nodded my response and then closed the distance between us. John buried both hands into my carefully styled curls, insuring that I couldn’t escape his embrace. Like I even wanted to.

Our lips slowly did a lip caressing dance before he tentatively brought his tongue into the mix. I parted my lips, allowing him in and breathed a contented sigh when he deepened the kiss. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I held him closer, taking in all of his warmth. He kissed me slowly but thoroughly enough to send errant shivers down my spine. Before things progressed to an out of control level, he pulled away. Much like the kisses when I was in high school that were harmless, but still left me breathless.

First of all a big thank you to Empi Baryeh for organizing this event! What a wonderful way for current readers of IR/MC romances to find new writers and romance readers to perhaps discover a new sub-genre.

For me I discovered IR/MC romance about three years ago. And I have to tell you it has changed my life.

You see, from my early teens to college I read romances like they were the newspapers. In college, I put them to the side. The relationships didn’t fit the life I led.

As one of only 100 African Americans in my freshman class at Tulane University in New Orleans, the majority of the men I dated were not African American. The man I eventually married is Caucasian. So why read about the alabaster blonde getting the pretty blonde when sometimes he preferred the girl with dark skin?

Then I came upon this short story by Tressie Lockwood, A Friend and A Lover. My first thought was ~ you can write a love story like this? An African American heroine and a Caucasian hero. Really?

Yes, really.

My fascination with the genre has boiled over to actually writing my own romantic tales of Love that cross racial boundaries as described by the 2010 Census Bureau (If you didn’t know some people who were once White are now Asian, but let’s keep this on track).

For your electronic viewing pleasure, I am giving away either one electronic copy of The Beginning of Forever or One Stormy Night to three winners (see the blurbs below).

The Beginning of Forever (a near novel published by Amira Press)

Amber Grayson, a conservative executive, found true love with fiancé, Kevin Miller. He infused her life with a sense of adventure and challenged her thoughts about appropriate bedroom behavior. After such a steamy affair, Amber was expecting nothing less during their engagement.

Even with the rushed timetable for the wedding combined with the stress of merging their households and finances, Amber is excited to begin a family with the man of her dreams. However, the beginning of forever is more difficult than either of them thought.

Locked in a battle of wills, Amber and Kevin find their commitment to each other and their future tested. Is this the beginning of their lives together or the end?

One Stormy Night (a sexy short story published by Evernight Publishing)

Alexis Joplin, popular host of the travel show, Overnight Stays, is embarking on her final scouting expedition with her partner and best friend, Shane Fowler. Over the course of the last two years, the duo has grown closer not only at work, but outside of the job. While their friends and co-workers may whisper that something more than friendship is the source of their mutual admiration, they deny it even as their personal feelings are reaching a critical apex.

Shrouded in the dark beauty of a hundred year old inn, while lightning flashes and thunder rumbles, neither Alexis nor Shane can hold on to the pretense any longer. They give in to one night of passion with the promise that in the morning, they’ll awake as friends.

But is it a promise they both can keep?

All you have to do is answer the following question in the comments:

What draws you as a reader to the IR/MC genre?

And don’t forget to enter for your chance to win one of the amazing prizes on the hop as a whole by clicking here!

Recent college graduate Gabriella has finally married the man of her dreams, the older, charismatic attorney Lorenzo Martinez. She’s had a crush on him for as long as she can remember and always imagined they’d one day find their happily ever after. Unfortunately, they enter into a union arranged by their fathers.

Lorenzo is charming, protective, and loyal to his crime lord father Carlo. When Carlo asks Lorenzo to marry Gabriella he jumps at the opportunity. He’s been drawn to her for many years and knows by marrying her he’s helping to protect her father.

Gabby is resentful and won’t be Lorenzo’s charity case. But sparks fly and the couple soon gives into their desire, realizing they were meant to be together.

What happens when Carlo’s enemies threaten their future? Will someone get caught in the crossfire?

When Parker Phillips, a successful attorney, has a confrontation with his friend Ava’s abusive boyfriend, he finds himself facing assault and battery charges, and he’s ordered to attend an anger management course. Parker, who has never been attracted to a man, is drawn to Dr. Jace Cross, the psychiatrist leading the class. But how can that be, since Parker is straight?

Jace accepted the fact that he was gay many years ago, and he’s comfortable in his sexuality, but he’s been single for some time now. He throws himself into his work to fill the lonely void.

Although sparks fly whenever they’re together, Parker’s reluctant to embrace these feelings he has for another man.

An affair and a shocking secret threaten to tear apart a rich and powerful family.

Claudia Samson, housekeeper to the privileged Callahan family, finds herself alone and pregnant after a brief fling with Gavin, the youngest Callahan son. When she informed him of the pregnancy he accused her of running a scam and made it clear that she was on her own.

Brody Callahan, Gavin’s older half-brother, has devoted his entire life to running the family business. He doesn’t realize what he’s been missing by throwing himself into his work until he finds Claudia asleep in the family guest bedroom. He has discovered his very own Sleeping Beauty. Intrigued by the young woman, he vows to get to know her better.

Although Claudia is instantly attracted to the charismatic businessman, she knows her secret will destroy any chance they have for a future together, but Brody’s awfully hard to resist.

Meanwhile, as Gavin watches Brody and Claudia’s relationship develop, he begins to devise a plan to use the secret to his advantage. He wants full partnership in the business—something he was denied by both his brother and their deceased father—and maybe now he can finally obtain it.

Can Brody and Claudia survive the storm, or will the secrets and blackmail destroy both them and their love?

Lilli Daniels is down on her luck. She’s been homeless, hungry and alone for far too long. Everything changes when she meets an intriguing, older stranger.

Successful attorney Jackson Avis maintains complete control of every aspect in his life. When he set eyes on Lilli he’s captivated. He tempts her with a life of privilege and security, introducing her to a world she never knew existed. Complications arise when Jackson’s son and aspiring doctor Cameron expresses interest in his father’s girlfriend.

Lilli fights the attraction, but Cameron wants to give into his heart. He’s the complete opposite of his manipulative father and stops at nothing to protect the woman he’s falling in love with.

Sometimes life leads you down one path only to bring you to your true destiny. Can Lilli figure out who her heart belongs to?

Ella Jade has been writing for as long as she can remember. As a child, she often had a notebook and pen with her, and now as an adult, the laptop is never far. The plots and dialogue have always played out in her head, but she never knew what to do with them. That all changed when she discovered the eBook industry. She started penning novels at a rapid pace and now she can’t be stopped. Ella resides in New Jersey with her husband and two young boys. When she’s not chasing after her kids, she’s busy writing, attending PTO meetings, kickboxing, and scrapbooking. She hopes you’ll get lost in her words.

I’m deep in the heart of NaNoWriMo 2013 and 5000 words off pace. No matter all my careful planning, LIFE struck.

Work – The company I’ve worked for for the past seven years was bought out officially in October. This past week, the first wave of layoffs occurred. Six hundred employees were told they no longer had a job. And none of them were given the reported 7.2 million dollars that our former CEO received. So it was hard to write this week.

Home – Spanish tests, low math scores and science fair projects. I’ve been super busy with my girls. And my son is a maniac often waking me up at three in the morning to announce that he has to go potty. He doesn’t want my help or anything, he just wants me to know. Of course, I can’t go back to sleep after that. At least the hubs is satisfied with the football season. Geaux Saints!

In the midst of it all, I managed to complete 25,000 words and I’m halfway done with A Loving Affair. Have I shown you the inspiration for Lenore.

Here she is!

(How sexy is forty?)

Back to writing, I have 25,000 more words to finish in less than 15 days!

Taranis, the Celtic god of Thunder, has spent an eternity longing for the touch of a single mortal woman. He has followed her through incarnations, but always his powers were too much for her to bear.

Tara is a deaf woman, struggling to fit in the hearing world. She hides a gentle heart behind a tough exterior. Will she let down her defenses when a handsome mute tries to win her heart?

And even if she does, can Taranis’ love come without a death sentence?

~~~Excerpt~~~

Taranis watched Tara climb onto her moped. She ran her fingers through her short black hair before pulling on her helmet. Mortals would never have been able to see so clearly, but even from across the street he could make out every detail of the art that was etched across her muscular yet feminine arms. They were drenched in color from the corner of her shoulder to the tips of her elbows. On one arm he saw a frog and a crow alongside the Puerto Rican flag, which was the heritage she had chosen in this new life. There was even a flamenco dancer adorned in a pink and green gown, forever frozen in her graceful dance. The other arm displayed a garden of colorful flowers— roses and lilies in blue, black and orange. Taranis imagined the fragrance of those flowers would be more intoxicating than any within the earth because they were drenched in her natural scent. He also noticed that mixed in among the tattoos that spoke of her Latino heritage; there was also a Celtic tribal band wrapped around her left ankle. Taranis knew it was a sign that a part of her was still drawn to the life she had lived before—the life he had been a brief but traumatic part of.

Taranis pushed the negative memories away. This was a new era. A new world. One where anything was possible. There were times when the magic of technology seemed to dwarf the powers of the gods themselves. First sign language and then computers with their artificial voices had made it much easier for Taranis to blend in among the mortals. Taranis especially loved the women of the twenty-first century. They were so bold and fearless, unafraid of demanding equality from their male counterparts. Tara was a prime example of that feminist drive. It seemed in each life time, she grew even stronger and more durable. He admired her strength and perseverance, but he also saw the sad and lonely woman she hid beneath the tough and snarky façade.

For two years he had watched her, yearned for her, but he was biding his time and building her trust. He had interacted with her in his human guise. Yet, he hadn’t given into the temptation to pursue anything more than a casual friendship, even though her smile insinuated she was open to more. He knew it was fear that restrained him. Each time he thought about romantic innuendos, he remembered Calista lying dead in his arms with blood dripping down her pale neck. Still, he hungered for Tara with a passion unlike anything he had ever known. He had waited centuries for her to return to him after his failure with Calista. He was sure that in this new world where their paths had finally crossed again, he would find a way to make her love him. He didn’t want to risk her life, but Taranis had a secret hope. He believed the very characteristic that she considered her greatest flaw would be the one thing that ensured their happiness in this life and all that followed.

Short stories have never been my forte. Just like in real life, I am a little long-winded. When my publisher announced they were doing an anthology called For the Love of the Gods, I didn’t really plan to participate. Then while I was standing in the shower, I was struck with inspiration. But I can’t take full credit for it and neither can my muse. Thunderstruck only exists because of my friend, editor, and fellow author, Tara Chevrestt. She is not only the person who my main character is based on. She’s also the beautiful model on the cover of the e-book!

It’s no surprise that Tara is an inspiration to many. She is an amazing writer, a no-nonsense editor, and an active feminist. She has a spunk and fire few people can claim and she’s never afraid to tell things how they are. Tara is also deaf, and while she’s faced a lot of discrimination because of her lack of hearing, she’s never let that stop her from getting what she wanted. More importantly, she doesn’t let it stop her from being happy with who she is, imperfections and all. This was the image I wanted to convey when I wrote Thunderstruck. Tara’s colorful vocabulary and the fact that she can kick some serious butt are only a small part of the story. The most important lesson I wanted people to take away with them is that, like Tara, we should all embrace who we are, including the imperfections that make us unique.

Tara’s motto is “Strong is Sexy” and she proves those words every single day. My fictional Tara could never do justice to the real lady, especially not in only thirty-five pages, but it gives you a little piece of the fire that drives a strong woman forward. Get to know Tara and you’ll have no trouble believing she could capture the love of a god.

~~~About the Author~~~

Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the editor of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Her current works include Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan, Player, and Demon.